Arsenal U23s face rivals Tottenham Hotspur away tonight at Stevenage’s Lamex Stadium, but the young Gunners have been dealt a considerable blow ahead of the game.
Prolific striker Folarin Balogun, who has been in outstanding form this season, has suffered an injury, which comes as a major setback for the youngster as he has only recently returned from a spell on the sidelines.
Thankfully Arsenal won’t be entirely short of attacking firepower, with Tyreece John-Jules having made his return to action as a substitute in the hard-fought 1-1 draw against Manchester City last weekend.
Having gone four games without a win, Arsenal will be especially eager to take all three points tonight against a Tottenham side that haven’t been in particularly impressive form themselves.
Tottenham did win their last game against Wolves, though, with Armando Shashoua scoring a brace in a 2-1 victory.
As far as Arsenal are concerned, right-back Zak Swanson was praised by Steve Bould for his performance against Tottenham, and he will be aiming to catch the eye again tonight.
Midfielder Ben Cottrell, meanwhile, looks to have cemented his place in the U23 side despite still being eligible for the U18s and has produced some encouraging performances of late.
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Jeorge Bird is the author of www.arsenalyouth.wordpress.com. Follow him on Twitter @jeorgebird
Mavropanos had a shaky start, doesn’t look anywhere near the first team yet…